Xbox 720 UI likely to resemble Windows 8, former Windows exec claims

Microsoft is likely to follow the template it laid down with Windows 8 when it comes to designing the Xbox 360's user interface.

That's according to the former VP of Windows Sales Joachim Kempin, who told IGN: "I think the other thing they will try, there's no doubt about it, is it's going to be more Windows 8-like; maybe it even gets a touchscreen, who knows?

"Most of what's in there today really is Windows, right? I wouldn't be surprised if the next round of interface comes even closer to Windows 8 than it is today; maybe it even gets a touchscreen, who knows?"

Kempin also addressed recent claims that Microsoft's games division is loss making. That's not quite true, he says, though he does concede that Xbox as a whole has proved a damaging distraction for Microsoft.

"On the [Xbox hardware] itself there is no profit," he stated. "So the profit comes from all the other sources; royalties from game developers, maybe the next Halo version, maybe a new Kinect system and what have you.

"It is such a small portion for their company. It would really be better if they would just spin that whole thing out and let other people run it on their own and not get distracted by it. For me that whole environment is a distraction for the company.”